


That Thing On Your Head

by koalathebear



Series: Fragments Prism [2]
Category: Homeland
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 13:12:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1094260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalathebear/pseuds/koalathebear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I was quite appalled by Saul's unfair diatribe at Fara in episode 3.02 Uh... Oh... Ah... so wanted to write a little scene around it in which what happens is seen through Peter Quinn's eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Thing On Your Head

**Author's Note:**

> This is non-shippy. I do not ship Fara with Quinn. I like her as a character but she's a bit too demure and quiet for him. I enjoy writing about his interactions with various characters though. There is Quinn/Carrie if you look really hard.

****

"You wearing that thing on your head is one big fuck you to the people who would have been your co-workers except that they perished in the blast right out there. So if you need to wear it, if you really need to wear it – which is your right – you'd better be the best analyst we've seen and that means don't tell me there's nothing. Give me a plan."

Fara stares at Saul mutely, her dark eyes filling with tears even as she is angry with herself for her display of weakness in the face of his unjust and inappropriate diatribe. 

After they discuss the plan she has formulated, Saul leaves the meeting room but then she hears the door open again. She looks up, expecting to see that he has returned. Instead, it's the analyst Peter Quinn staring at her quizzically, missing nothing from her tear-stained face to her distraught expression.

"What happened?" he asks her. With those huge, dark eyes and that almost child-like face, she looks like Bambi after his mother was killed. Eight days at the CIA and already working on what is possibly the most important investigation since the search for Bin Laden. The tears make him worry that she may not be up to the task at hand.

"Nothing," she lies, shaking her head.

His jaw tightens. "I'm not stupid, Fara. Saul was clearly giving you a hard time about something – now spill."

Fara hesitates.

"He was … frustrated with my lack of progress."

"That's Saul – not the most patient of men – but I'm sure that deep down he knows you've only been working on this for half of today. That can't be everything – you wouldn't be crying over that," Quinn remarks with a frown.

"It is everything," she tells him, drying her eyes. "And we have a plan of action, we will interview the bankers."

"Good," Quinn says nodding and staring at the cluttered wall and the complicated and convoluted money trail. 

"Thank you for your concern," she tells him quietly and he nods.

"No need to thank me. We're on the same team," he replies.

*

During his meeting with Saul, Quinn says nothing to Saul about his conversation with Fara but waits to see if the older man will mention anything.

After he finishes reporting on his own findings, he stares at Saul. "Something on your mind, Saul?" he asks.

There is a long silence and then Saul grimaces. "I lost my temper with our new transactions expert."

"Fara? She's a forensic accountant – how offensive could she be?" Quinn counters.

"Not her fault … I was an asshole," Saul confesses. "I told her that wearing that 'thing' on her head was a big fuck you to the people who would have been her co-workers – except they all died in the blast."

Quinn stares at him. "You are kidding me, right?" 

Saul shakes his head. "Unfortunately no. So I told her that if she really had to wear it, then she'd better be the best fucking analyst we've ever seen and come up with the goods."

Quinn winces, looking almost physically pained by Saul's disclosure.

"I admit, it was not a moment of which I am proud," Saul says heavily, frowning even more than usual.

"You do know that the hijab is mandated by her religion and isn't just a fashion accessory designed to piss you off?" Quinn asks him in a voice that is too quiet and too calm.

"Of course I fucking know that, Peter," replies irritably.

"And you do know that not all Muslims are terrorists," Quinn asks him blandly in a voice that _is_ designed to piss him off.

"Fuck. _You_ ," Saul tells him irritably. "Like I said – I'm not proud. I snapped. It was unfair."

"Extremely unfair. Did you know she's only been working here for eight days. With most of the banking division killed in the bombing, she's all you've got right now."

"She's actually doing a pretty damned good job."

"Which is why you made her feel like shit?"

"Are you my subordinate or my overly annoying conscience, Peter?" Saul demands testily and Quinn holds up a hand.

"Tell me about the plan."

He tells Quinn that they will be interviewing a number of New York bankers in relation to a certain sequence of wire transfers from the Middle East which are suspicious and potentially related to the Langley bombing. 

"The information you got for us out of Caracas contains a lead after all," he tells the younger man.

Quinn's face is tense but there is a flicker of relief in his light eyes.

"Good to hear."  
*  
After Carrie's disastrous hearing at the hospital, Quinn arrives back in time to watch Saul and Fara questioning the head of the bank in relation to specific wire transfers that were accepted by an Iranian trading company. 

****

****

The men are in expensive suits. They are smug and entitled and Quinn is filled with disgust as they claim ignorance.

****

He watches as they obfuscate, deny knowledge and evade the questions even though it is clear that they know more than they are disclosing. They deny that they blatantly failed to comply with federal regulations even after Saul shows them an email instructing them to delete all Iranian customer names to avoid any sign of legal breaches of United States laws.

Indignant, Fara with unexpected pluck and spirit calls them out on their underhanded practices. While temporarily nonplussed, the banker with a face like a bulldog stands and stares in contempt at Fara. "With all due respect ma’am, in this country, that’s not the way we ask for help."

****

Quinn watches as Saul puts a comforting hand on Fara's arm as if to tell her to keep her cool in the face of such disrespect. Quinn simmers inwardly as Fara's shoulders slump slightly in defeat.

****

****

He doesn't even talk to Saul about what he chooses to do next and takes matters into his own hands.

****

Quinn crossed a number of lines of morality several life times ago and as he stares into the banker's smug face, he's filled with calm and rage as he references the death in Caracas of the banker and his son.

Bravado and contempt is replaced with fear and apprehension and Quinn walks away from the banker, smiling grimly on the inside.

****

****

*  
Saul is brimming with excitement. "We're not sure how and why it happened, but the bankers have decided to cooperate. Fara's found that the number of transactions increased around the time of the attack. All point to Iran, inside the government." 

"Glad they came to the party."

"There’s $45 million that’s unaccounted for, not retained by the bank."

Quinn gives a low whistle and Saul continues. "Fara's following the money … we have a solid lead, Quinn – thanks to you."

"And the poor analyst who has a right to practise the religion of her choice," Quinn says blandly and Saul gives an exaggerated sigh. 

"Get out of my office, you're a fucking pain in the ass." As Quinn heads to the door, Saul calls out again. "Peter."

Quinn stops and turns his head inquiringly. "Do I want to know how you got the bastard to cough up the information?" Saul demands abruptly.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, sir," Quinn replies coolly and Saul shakes his head. 

"I've told Fara to keep quiet about the $45 million. You, too."

"Copy that."

*

It's late and the hallways are dark. Quinn pauses outside the meeting room where there is still a light. The other analysts have gone home but the small figure with the head scarf has her head bent over her computer, face intent.

"Shouldn't you be going home?" he asks her. "Saul says you've come up with a solid lead – no need to stay here all night."

She looks up, startled but relaxes when she sees him. "I have a few more things to read before I go," she tells him.

"Good job, Fara," he compliments her.

She lowers her head modestly. "Thank you," she tells him gratefully.

"You did good with those pricks calling themselves bankers."

"We still don't know why they suddenly cooperated but the information they provided has been invaluable."

"People change their minds for all sorts of reasons," he says easily.

"You look tired," she remarks and he shrugs.

"It's been a rough week."

" Carrie Mathison. I saw the hearings … she was your friend?"

He nods slowly. "Is a friend."

Fara's brow creases slightly. "She doesn't think that Nicholas Brody was responsible for the bombing. Do you believe her?"

"Carrie Mathison sees things a lot more clearly than most people," is all he will say. He doesn't care to discuss Carrie with her. "Don't stay too late," he tells her.

"I won't."

"Welcome to the CIA," he says with a crooked smile and Fara watches him go and feels relief that she has chosen the right path.

****

end


End file.
